100 suspects arrested and £1m of drugs seized in bid to tackle county lines
MORE than £1m of drugs and 100 suspected dealers have been arrested in just two weeks as police carry out dozens of raids across the county.
As well as this, police seized 82 mobile phones, and almost £53,000 in cash, alongside weapons and a firearm during raids in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight.
The intensification activity saw 17 drug networks disrupted, with police targeting individuals who ran either local or county lines, supplying crack cocaine and heroin.
Warrants took place in London and towns and cities across Hampshire including Portsmouth, Fareham and Gosport, Basingstoke, Winchester, Southampton, the New Forest, Eastleigh and Isle of Wight during the last two weeks.
A total of 88 men and 12 women were arrested with; 13 of these were aged under 18.
Most offences were for being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs, with a few under modern day slavery legislation.
Overall 100 people were arrested; 24 vulnerable people identified; nine vulnerable juveniles engaged; £52,703.50 seized; 81.5 grams of crack cocaine and 91 wraps seized; 62g of heroin and 92 wraps seized; and machetes, knives, CS gas, air rifle, BB gun recovered.
Neighbourhood officers visited cuckooed addresses across the Force region with 42 vulnerable people being identified and 6 safeguarded.
Over the past 18 months, Hampshire Constabulary has developed a deeper understanding of the drivers of county lines and how those running lines operate. It is now tackling it under the name Op Monument, alongside the Metropolitan Police’s Op Orochi.
The operation involved joint work with British Transport Police, Ministry of Defence Police and Royal Mail.
Detective Superintendent, Nick Plummer, Head of Serious Organised Crime, said: “Operations like this, which target the criminal exploitation of vulnerable people, are vital because we know that this type of criminality drives a high proportion of violent crime in our communities.
“During these weeks of intensification we have identified vulnerable people, most of whom were victims of this type of exploitation, who we are now safeguarding and working with them to give support they need.
Source: (Daily Echo)